ADHD Discrimination at Work

[AdultingwithADHD]

Hey everyone! I currently work at a job where they claim they support people with disabilities (ADHD, Anxiety etc.) but clearly THEY DONT! Once they find out you are disabled, they do whatever it takes to fire you. For example, they purposely have be sit in the most noisiest and distracting spot in the office to intentionally set me up to fail. Has this ever happened to you? What have you done to resolve this issue?

[ShortyKat]

So sorry, that is terrible.

[sharkticon]

That sounds awful.

Most companies number one goal is to make as much money as possible. If they feel like you don't add much value to the company because of your disabilities they will find a way to get rid of you no matter what they've said in the past. But it sounds like you want to be there and you believe you add value to the company. So I would find a way to explain to them how much more productive you can be if they accommodate the needs you have. If those needs are going to be too expensive or too difficult for them, then I would think it's most likely time to go find a new job where they do value your skills.

[EmeraldLily]

Hi there,

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I second the post from sharkticon and agree that you definitely want to find a company where you feel valued.

WFH was a godsend for me as I have had so many years of either getting in trouble for wearing headphones or having to work extra early/late because I'd get way too distracted when everyone else was in the office. I'm grateful to be in a role now that is people facing when I choose for it to be, and the preference is to use emails over continuous meetings.

A couple of ideas:

-Find your company's accessibility policy, they may be able to provide noise cancelling headphones for free or have other potential ideas.

- schedule meeting rooms for yourself when you really need to focus.

- ask for a different schedule if possible.

- ensure you have an open and honest relationship with your manager. If your manager is not supportive to your specific needs and willing to help with your challenges, it will not be a good long-term fit.

- keep track of your productivity if possible. That way you can essentially have evidence to share with your manager or teammates in the event you continue having challenges being in the noisy environment.

I might have more ideas later but figured I'd share what I could for now.

Best of luck and stay strong 🌻

[iBusyBrain]

It's certainly not good what they are doing. However there are reasonable steps you can take. Contact your doctor and have them write a letter that only says you need a reasonable accommodation, specifically a quite office space. You dont have to even say what the disability is--nor can your employer ask. Your employer has a legal duty to reasonably try to accommodate you. If you tell your employer you have a disability, and you don't get a letter from your doctor, the employee has no legal responsibility to accommodate you.

From the sounds of things...just look for a different job that will value you help. Trust me....lots a great places to work. Folks are cleaning up the inside of the office.

[Doodledoodledoo]

With any case of discrimination or abuse at work (or anywhere) it is important to document everything that happens as best you can. You can keep a little journal, or keep a folder on your personal computer or phone where you put every conversation you have and action related to this issue in. Put a copy of any email you send or receive regarding this issue in the folder. If you have a meeting with someone regarding it, write the date time & location of the meeting and a brief synopsis of what was said at the meeting. If you told your boss you have ADHD and then soon after you were moved to a noisy part of the office, write those things down, with the dates they happened, and put them in the folder. You may never need this documentation, but you might! Even if no legal action is ever taken/warranted, keeping track of all of this will be useful as you navigate conversations with your employer, especially if they try to gaslight you. Good luck and sorry this is happening to you.

[rubystarsapphire]

YES IT HAPPENED TO ME. I went through a year of them, my bosses and HR, jerking me around, not getting back to me, evading me in every way to drag it out. I went through all the hoops the federal govt put you through. They didnt. They broke it in half a dozen ways, the federal disabilities act, but there was no accounting as it was he said she said and my bosses were lying snakes. They dragged me through that and when the year was up, laid me off, after making it a hostile workplace. I had only requested the mildest accommodations, and I wouldn’t even had needed to at all if the manager had not been a witch (btw, my assessment of these bosses was the same as the people in the office and also the ones they had run out of the jobs because they couldn’t stand the abuse). She deliberately rushed through tutorials and did things to confuse us, and make her look like the only competent one. Since I was the lowest on the totem pole in our group, she then used me as the scapegoat to get her rocks off. I believe both these bosses also broke the law by giving me horrible references when prospective employers called, so that I could not get a job in the same business, for fear Id tell them exactly what they did to me.

Btw, this was a job Id held for 11 years, and the previous position in the same office i had held for 14 years. So i worked my butt off in that place, and I was still underemployed as a college grad and working below my intelligence. But I stated because my self esteem just rolled away there, getting lower and lower. I received exemplary reviews my entire time there until I asked for reasonable accommodation.

So the fed disabilities act doesn’t protect anyone, and especially not people with learning disabilities like ADHD. The big boss literally sneered at me when he heard that the accommodations were because of ADHD. None of them believed it was a real thing, and some of them told me in so many words. So the feds and state are laws geared to them getting off abusing you and getting away with it. In order for me to sue them, I had to TURN DOWN the severance pay that was due me. I would have rolled into losing my home and life in 3 months with no money. The EEOC hears your case whenever, if they feel like it, and then they do nothing for you but sit in with your employer and at best work out a deal for you to get your job back. I asked every attorney around if i could they take /win a case on our own, they said No. You basically have to be a paraplegic from an accident on the job in order to win. I had no money to put up on my own for a lawyer, and this would have dragged out while i became homes and my health deteriorated.

The govt has absolutely no teeth in this, they hang you out to dry.

[QuarenQueen]

The same thing happened to me!! But I was actually fired because of it!!

I have had dyslexia for literally my early school days, but I was diagnosed with ADHD 4 months in to my post (assistant Psychologist in the NHS)

At work I constantly felt criticised, almost like I was in trouble at school, excluded from the team and just not supported in any way. This lead to a big breakdown in the work relationship, just being in the office / work environment was so uncomfortable for me, it felt so hostile, intimidating and embarassing,.

Also - I think it’s important to say It was not until the week of my final probation meeting that I finally received the reccomendations from access to work - reasonable adjustments. (So 9 months in post ans the exact time of my final probation hearing)

Having a hearing is honestly the most stressful thing, I had no understanding of policies or like the processes for things like this for even the equality act. I felt horrible - I felt I was being discriminated against. I couldn’t work out how the challenges I was facing was acceptable within the equality act.

But anyway the hearing panel decided to extend my probation by a additional 8 weeks, and set of expectations / reqiuiments for me to meet in that time. The main one being amount of sick days I take.

So here we are…. the panel decided to dismiss me due to my capability. However, I had demonstrated a clear improvement in my work and the requirements they set. BUTTT, during this 8 week peiopd I had experienced a migraine 2 more times then I was allowed. ( also I know it’s not relevant but in the past 8 weeks my mum abs uncle have been diagnosed with cancer and I’ve had 2 car crashes lol)

I was working myself in to the ground, trying not to get a migraine, be there for my family and clearly demonstrate my ability at work (working my self to the ground, to overcome obstacles that seemed to be hiding my ability from my managers).

My unison representative did attend this meeting, but he did not support me or represent me in any sort of way. The only time he spoke it was as if he was arguing against me - speaking to my line manager after the meeting he noted he saw the same. I asked for support prior to this hearing, but received a very dismissive email back basically saying there was nothing I can do. At the end his only comments were, think about what you want to do, ok to work in Tesco in the mean time, as I was on probation I dont have any rights.

I wish I could go back to the start, now that I have learnt more about my rights, and make sure I was being treated fairly

[QuarenQueen in reply to QuarenQueen]

UPDATE- if anyone has any advice I would be so grateful

PRESENT -NEW JOB STARTED ON THE 11TH - AND ON 12TH IT STARTED AGAIN

Employment started ON 11TH JULY- but previous disability discrimination (which included indirect discrimination, harassment/ bullying, discrimination as a result of my disability and failure to make reasonable adjustments) that resulted in an unfair dismissal - based off an extremely inaccurate (evidence that showed complete opposite), unfair and humiliating reason, which was my capabilities.

So as a result I have been unemployed since December. Throughout this time I had been applying to hundreds of jobs for my position, choosing not to let this experience impact my career, which I have been working so hard on - despite all the challenges I’ve experienced. Equally, for this same reason, I was reluctant to challenge my dismissal. I didn’t want that role back, due to how much it affected me. For a year I constantly felt insulted, humiliated, intimidated, ignored, offended, distressed and frankly unhappy. I also didn’t want my career to possibly be tarnished or ‘black listed’ as a result of raising my treatment, after my views has constantly been dismissed throughout.

HOWEVER,

One of my many interviews proved to be successful, for my role within the same trust (different area / team). Unfortunately the recruitment process following the conditional offer took over 3 months (meaning even longer time where I was unable to fund myself, relying on UC which didn’t even covered my rent let alone any other living expenses).

During these pre-employment checks I was asked for over 7 references covering a period of over 10 years - which also required opinions of my skills, when the nhs policy states factual reference should be sought. This was especially concerning to me, as I was an internal applicant within the trust, so the same hr department completing these checks were actual listed as a factual reference on my application. I discreetly shared my concerns around further discrimination. this appeared to help, as the next day hr confirmed they had made a mistakes/ misunderstanding and that all the references I had provided were more then enough.

I am 2 days in to ny employment, when I am caught off guard by a last minute meeting (that I thought was a welcome and introduction to one of the team leaders). I was instantly put on the spot and was told hr had ‘discovered’ what they said was a dismissal from my last role. I explained that was incorrect, mentioning that when this happened I had asked them to

make it clear and they said it wasn't a 'dismissal or firing' it was just a choice made to not continue my probation any further (because it has already been extended to the

max amount) even tho my reasonable

adjustments hadn't been put in place.

I shared this on my application for this role, and the lengthy hr check were determined to be successful. But despite this, I was informed hr felt it necessary to commence a ‘fact find’.

I am extremely concerned and filled with anxiety about this. I feel I am again being attacked, bullied and discriminated against as a result of my disability which has been insensitivity ignored, despite my disclosures, multiple occupational health reports that explained how the ill treated is affecting me, access to work reports and recommendations (that I received no support with when beginning my claim), and all the unfair obstacles that were put in place (that all the other team members did not have to do).

[STEM_Dad in reply to QuarenQueen]

Sorry to hear about that. Obviously, they are not a good employer to work for. In the three months that they dragged out the process to rehire you, they ought to have "discovered" the "dismissal", so that seems like a fabricated reason.

At one job, I followed up on a request I'd made when I was asked to transfer under a new manager. The director knew that if I stayed in the position he was asking me to move from, I would be getting a raise that was in the works. I asked for the same raise in the new position. When I followed up about it, all I got was a three-way run-around between the manager, the director, and HR. All I was asking was "will I get the raise or not". - Then, my frustrations grew as it became evident the manager was bad at his job, the director made bad decisions that hurt the whole organization, but I was made to be the scapegoat and isolated. I asked many times to transfer to my previous job, even going above the director's head, and ever request was denied. (It took 3 years, but I finally got another job... And then I got my ADHD diagnosis.)

I hope that you find a better employer, one who will treat you respectfully and humanely. (You'd think of all organizations the NHS would have understand and accomodations for ADHD! It sounds to me like it was really some kind of office politics running the show.)

[STEM_Dad in reply to STEM_Dad]

By the way... karma caught up with the bad manager and unscrupulous director. The manager was eventually let go, but it was publicly announced that it was due to "budget cutbacks". The director's spouse was let go for the same given reason, and he left because she got a job thousands of miles away. (I think he planned to leave around then, anyway. His resume/CV showed that he was never stayed anywhere longer than 4 years. He would he get hired, make big changes, then leave before the results of those changes came to light. This was pointed out to me by a very capable, longtime coworker with a physical disability who was forced into early retirement by the same manager & director.)

[QuarenQueen in reply to QuarenQueen]

Urgh I know!! So following my ‘fact find’ (on my 3rd day), I was having surgery on the next Monday.

To be it just seems fishy, because they h to complete the fact find in 3 days, but I only got the outcome on Friday..

And no shock - it’s been decided a fill investigation needs to take place….

I am honestly so confused… like firstly what ‘evidence’ have they found??? Because I was honest on my application, the interview and gave the very same hr as my reference.. so how I’m anyway did I hide that (tbh I’d be stupid to even try and hise it)

2. How is this a valuable use of their time?? Surely the nhs could be spending their time ans money more effectively..

And 3. What on earth do I do now? Like it seems like I’m fighting a loosing battle which is so pointless.

I’ve honestly had enough now. After spending a year literally hating my life, feeling victimised and attacked to literally return on my 2nd day is a joke.

I really want to take it to a tribunal.

But I feel everyone thinks I’m massively exaggerating. And don’t understand at all

Urghhhhh adhd has literally impacted me and my career

[RenaissanceDan]

Try contacting askjan.org

[coffeeandweed]

Oh yeah. I was subjected to severe abuse. Getting yelled at, called down to the dirt, you name it. And he made it personal. It took both my mental health nurse and wife tag-teaming on me to finally call HR. He was given a no-contact order and had to stay away from me.

In a couple weeks I'm starting work again for the first time since my diagnosis. I mentioned the abuse to the new boss and he assured me it won't happen. I just have yet to mention the adhd. But it's a vegetable farm, so after 20+ years of growing salmon this will be a walk in the park.

[ADHD-ette]

Yes, this has happened to me. I resolved the issue the only way I could, I left the job. So sad.